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Shafali, Mandhana guide India to series win

Published

2 years ago

2024/05/2

Priyan

India have won the five-match series 3-0 (BCB)

A clinical bowling display and a 91-run opening stand from Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana helped India overcome Bangladesh by seven wickets in the third T20I and seal the five-match series 3-0 in Sylhet.

After opting to bowl first on an overcast day, India restricted the hosts to a below-par 117 for 8. Shafali blazed her way to a 38-ball 51 while Mandhana made 47 to complete the formalities for India. Bangladesh have now lost all of their last six T20Is.

India will be content with both their openers getting some runs in Bangladesh – where the T20 World Cup will be held later this year – after a disappointing tour in 2023, when Shafali scored a total of 30 runs and Mandhana 52 from three matches. On Thursday, the duo put on a solid show off 73 balls in a boundary-laden opening stand to blunt Bangladesh. Mandhana and Shafali combined have 2075 runs from 65 innings in T20Is, the second-highest tally across all teams and most for an Indian pair.

Shafali began the fireworks from the get-go, starting with a powerful lofted drive over left-arm pacer Fariha Trisna’s head in the second over. She utilised the loose deliveries from the bowlers and hit eight fours in the powerplay to reach 45 off 28 balls. This included three successive fours off left-arm spinner Nahika Akter’s over. At the end of the powerplay, India were 59 for 0, needing just 59 from the remaining 84 balls. It took a stunning one-handed return catch from Ritu Moni in the 13th over to dismiss Shafali and break the opening partnership.

On the other end, Mandhana kept the scorecard ticking with elegant cover drives, sweeps, and paddle sweeps, as she also ensured to rotate the strike regularly. She also came down the track and clobbered a six over long-on fence off legspinner Rabeya Khan in the ninth over. She looked set to score her maiden T20I fifty in Bangladesh but fell three short after she skied one to deep square leg off Nahida Akter. Overall, she hit five fours and a six in 41 balls.

Bangladesh picked up three wickets for 19 runs after 12 overs, but it was too late to make a comeback into the game as India chased the target in 18.3 overs

Bangladesh started the innings positively, with both openers Dilhara Akter and Murhsida Khatun remaining unbeaten at the end of the powerplay. They scored 44 for 0 in that phase and also benefitted from sloppy fielding from India. For the second time in as many games, Harmanpreet Kaur dropped a catch in the fifth over to hand a life to Dilhara, who went on to score a quickfire 39. In the next over, S Sajana couldn’t hold on to a difficult catch when Dilhara went for a sweep but top-edged to square-leg. In the same over, India also missed a run-out opportunity to dismiss Akter.

However, as was the case in the second game, Bangladesh lost some steam in the middle overs after putting on 46 runs for the opening stand. Murshida (9 off 16) was dismissed run-out off a free-hit from Radha Yadav in the seventh over when Deepti Sharma fired a sharp throw from point. Dilhara scored five clean boundaries in her 27-ball stay to provide a solid foundation but departed in the eighth over when she was caught behind off a slower delivery from Renuka Singh.

Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana and Sobhana Mostary shared 30 runs off 36 for the third wicket before Mostary was run out in the 14th over. This triggered the collapse as Bangladesh went from 85 for 2 to lose the next six wickets for 32 runs. Radha finished with 2 for 22 while Shreyanka and Pooja Vastrakar picked up a wicket apiece.

Brief scores:
India Women 118 for 3 in 18.3 overs (Shafali Verma 51, Smriti Mandhana 47; Nahida Akter 1-24, Rabeya Khan 1-24, Ritu Moni 1-10)beat Bangladesh Women 117 for 8 in 20 overs (Dilara Akther 39, Nigar Sultana 28; Renuka Singh 1-25, PoojaVastrakar 1-26, Shreyanka Patil 1-24, Radha Yadav 2-22) by seven wickets

(Cricinfo)

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Delhi Capital’s fourth shot at elusive trophy as Royal Challengers Bengaluru look to make winning a habit

Published

51 mins ago

2026/02/5

Priyan

Lizelle Lee and Shafali Verma against Lauren Bell will be an interesting contest [BCCI]

The grand finale of WPL 2026 carries a distinct India-South Africa flavour, much like the World Cup final two months ago. But the epicenter is Vadodara and not Navi Mumbai, the traditional home of Indian women’s cricket. However, that won’t make the occasion any less special.

The marquee names line up symmetrically. Shafali Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues on one side; Smriti Mandhana and Richa Ghosh on the other. Marizanne Kapp and Laura Wolvaardt on one side, Nadine de Klerk on the other.

Threading between these big stars are two high-impact overseas allrounders from West Indies and Australia, each having contributed to their team’s journey to the final in their own way.

Chinelle Henry has been an unheralded star for Delhi Capitals (DC). Her three-for in the Eliminator may have gone unnoticed in the larger scheme of things, but it was as important as Shafali and Lizelle Lee’s opening stand or Rodrigues’ cameo. For Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Grace Harris has filled an even larger void. In Ellyse Perry’s absence, she has become the powerplay enforcer, dominating attacks and setting up games for the likes of Ghosh and de Klerk to finish.

The prospect of these two sides pitted against each other in the final seemed an unlikely prospect even during the auction. Mumbai Indians appeared the obvious front runners, having retained the core that delivered two titles in three seasons.

RCB, meanwhile, were without Perry, and when they opted to replace her with an uncapped Indian fast bowler in Sayali Satghare, fully aware that Pooja Vastrakar would be unavailable for much of the season, the knives were out. Satghare has since become a key strand in RCB’s seam attack.

Thursday’s final also brings a contrast to their journeys to the final. RCB took the route DC did for three seasons running – winning six out of their eight games to top the group. DC have scraped through a sequence of must-win games and will now play their third knockout in five days.

DC are chasing that elusive fourth attempt at glory to help bring silverware to a franchise that is yet to win a major; RCB is looking at making winning titles a habit, attempting a hat-trick of wins (IPL included).

In each of the three previous finals, the winner of the Eliminator has gone on to win the title. Will Thursday be any different?

RCB are likely to back Vastrakar to play as a specialist batter. While she has begun bowling in the nets, a call has been taken to ease her in, given she has returned to competitive cricket after 15 months. Arundhati Reddy’s lack of form is the only other area of concern that could potentially bring in legspinner Prema Rawat into the equation.

RCB (probable): Smriti Mandhana (capt), Grace Harris, Georgia Voll, Richa Ghosh (wk), Radha Yadav, Nadine de Klerk, Pooja Vastrakar, Shreyanka Patil, Sayali Satghare, Arundhati Reddy/Prema Rawat, Lauren Bell

DC are likely to be unchanged. In fact the 13 players they’ve used this season are the fewest resources a team has used across four WPL seasons.

DC (probable): Shafali Verma, Lizelle Lee (wk), Laura Wolvaardt, Jemimah Rodrigues (capt), Marizanne Kapp, Chinelle Henry, Niki Prasad, Sneh Rana, Minnu Mani, Nandani Sharma, N Shree Charani

[Cricinfo]

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Sparkling Aaron George ton seals record chase, powers India into U19 WC final

Published

14 hours ago

2026/02/5

Priyan

Aaron George produced a special innings on the big stage to set up India's title clash with England [Cricbuzz]

On a batting beauty at the Harare Sports Club, India’s assembly line of batting talent was out in full splendour in the Under-19 World Cup semifinal. There were two centurions in a statement innings from Afghanistan, but Uzairullah Niazai and Faisal Shinozada’s knocks – glorious as they were – were rendered footnotes by a superb century from Aaron George, who led India’s record chase of 311 with the kind of composure that belied his low scores from earlier in the tournament.

George hit 115 off 104, ably supported by half-centuries from Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Ayush Mhatre, as India recorded the highest ever chase in U19 World Cup history. A sixth straight final beckoned, and with it, a Friday date with England for the title – a repeat of the 2022 final, history rhyming if not quite repeating.

There was something quietly poetic about George’s century, about this particular redemption. Here was a batter who had managed a best of just 23 runs leading up to this knockout game, existing in the shadows while all around him teammates made the right noises and brandished snazzy IPL contracts. But the selectors stuck with him. And on this day, under the Harare sun, George repaid that faith with interest – 15 fours, 2 sixes, batting on until only 11 runs were required. The chase, in the end, was polished off with 53 balls to spare, the margin of victory rendering Afghanistan’s brilliance a beautiful but ultimately futile exercise.

Afghanistan had a couple of clear chances in the second innings. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was put down in the fifth over and George was reprieved when a dolly was put down by Wahidullah Zadran at mid-on. The drops proved very costly as India’s openers plundered 90 in 9.3 overs before Sooryavanshi fell to a short ball from Nooristani Omarzai for a 33-ball 68. Ayush Mhatre walked out, with a bunch of low scores under his belt, and opted to deal in either boundaries or dots for the first 12 balls before he hunkered down to build a 114-run stand with George.

George, at the other end, was barely troubled by spin or pace. A highlight of his innings was his ability to punch the ball on the up with a high elbow. There was also a delectable inside-out shot over extra cover to a ball headed down legside. George got to his century with a flick past mid-on for four, bringing the Indian dressing room to its collective feet. He hit two more boundaries in the next over before cutting Zadran to backward point in the 40th over. Vihaan Malhotra stayed unbeaten on 38 to take India home by seven wickets.

Earlier in the day, Afghanistan, having won the toss, did well to push India into chasing a record total. Shinozada and Niazai played central roles in the highest score against India in Youth ODIs, but the foundation for the same was laid by openers Khalid Ahmadzai and Osman Sadat, who put together a steady 53-run partnership.

Ahmadzai looked assured during his 31 off 39 balls before Deepesh Devendran broke through. Sadat continued the good work with a composed 39 from 70 deliveries, but his dismissal by Kanishk Chouhan left Afghanistan at 119 for 2 at the halfway stage, needing acceleration.

What followed was a batting exhibition that will have been remembered for a lot longer had the second innings not happened. Shinozada tore into the Indian attack with a magnificent 110 from just 93 balls. He reached his century in 86 deliveries and celebrated with Cristiano Ronaldo’s iconic “Siu” celebration, his second consecutive hundred in the tournament showcasing his remarkable form and temperament on the big stage.

But Shinozada wasn’t alone in the glory. Niazai played the perfect partner, remaining unbeaten on 101 from 86 balls. The pair stitched together a match-defining stand that not only revived the innings but propelled Afghanistan well past the 300-mark. Niazai’s maiden tournament century came in dramatic fashion, brought up with a pull shot while scampering for a sharp second run. The late flourish saw Afghanistan plunder 111 runs in the final 10 overs of the game, but as it turned out the slow-burn approach to the innings proved counterproductive against the latest bunch of India’s batting talents.

Brief scores:
Afghanistan 310/4 in 50 overs (Faisal Shinozada 110, Uzairullah Niazai 101; Kanishk Chouhan 2-55, Deepesh Devendran 2-64) lost to India 311/3 in 41.1 overs (Aaron George 115, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi 68, Ayush Mhatre 62; Nooristani Omarzai 2-64) by 7 wickets.

[Cricbuzz]

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Pakistan PM Sharif on India boycott: ‘A very considered stance, and we should completely stand by Bangladesh’

Published

14 hours ago

2026/02/5

Priyan

Pakistan PM has said that the team's decision to boycott the game is linked to Bangladesh's ouster from the T20 World Cup [Cricinfo]

Shehbaz Sharif, the Pakistani Prime Minister, has said Pakistan’s decision to boycott the game against India at the men’s T20 World Cup 2026 was a show of solidarity with Bangladesh, after their removal from the tournament.. It is the first time any official from either the Pakistan state or the PCB has publicly touched upon the reasons for the boycott.

“We have taken a very clear stand on the T20 World Cup that we won’t play the match against India because there should be no politics on the sports field,” Sharif told members of his cabinet on Wednesday. “We have taken a very considered stance, and we should completely stand by Bangladesh, and I think this is a very appropriate decision.”

The Pakistan government put out a post on Sunday saying that while the team would participate in the T20 World Cup, it would not take the field in the February 15 group game against India. The post, which came after a week in which Pakistan’s participation in the tournament had become uncertain, did not give any reason for the decision.

The PCB has not spoken publicly on the matter, but the ICC issued a response a few hours after the X post, in which it said it hoped “that the PCB will consider the significant and long-term implications for cricket in its own country as this is likely to impact the global cricket ecosystem, which it is itself a member and beneficiary of.”

It is not known whether the PCB has officially notified the ICC, or whether there has been any contact between the two bodies. The ICC had said that it “expects the PCB to explore a mutually acceptable resolution, which protects the interests of all stakeholders.”

The Prime Minister’s comments confirm, however, that the boycott decision is linked to what the PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi – the interior minister in Sharif’s government – called the ICC’s double standards in excluding Bangladesh from the T20 World Cup.

Bangladesh were replaced in the world event after their government refused to let the team travel to India, where they were based for their games. The government, citing security concerns, wanted Bangladesh to play their games instead in Sri Lanka, the co-hosts for the event, and where Pakistan will play all their games.

The ICC Board voted 14-2 in favour of replacing Bangladesh with Scotland rather than rescheduling their games in Sri Lanka – the PCB were one of the two votes against the decision, along with the BCB.

“You can’t have double standards,” Naqvi said after the decision and cited India’s refusal to travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy in 2025. “You can’t say for one country [India] they can do whatever they want and for the others to have to do the complete opposite. That’s why we’ve taken this stand, and made clear Bangladesh have had an injustice done to them. They should play in the World Cup, they are a major stakeholder in cricket.”

[Cricinfo]